Private Tales The Mountains Ahead

[Aviana Sabel]

Aviana chuckled at Kasim's usual brazen demeanor and a bright smile lit up her face. His confidence and whimsical nature was part of what had attracted her to him in the first place. He was so different than any other noble she'd met, and she loved that about him. It felt like no matter what crossed their path, things were going to be okay.

"We could always just renovate this one." She offered with a sly smile, looking at him out of the corner of her eyes.

"Take your old home back for yourself. Build a life and a family here."

Logistically, it made sense. But as soon as she said the words, Aviana felt a sharp pang of loss in her chest. It was unlikely that her own children would ever see her home. Would there even be a Minaris for her to go back to?

She pushed the thoughts aside, burying them deep, while her fingers traced over the swell of her belly. Her heart was torn by two different roles, two different calls of responsibility and protection.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"I would love that." He said quietly, knowing that it was true.

The temptation to stay here forever was about as strong as anything he had ever felt. This castle was a home, but...they were only a few hundred miles from Vel Anir. His family had not come here in decades, but that didn't meant they wouldn't get bored...or curious once they heard of activity within the castle.

That fear was what kept him from agreeing.

They could stay here a year, maybe even two, but eventually they would have to figure out a more permanent solution. As long as his father was alive there was no way they could stay here forever.

So what if I kill him? The thought suddenly spiked through his head out of nowhere, and for a second Kasim's expression drew down.

He frowned, but then shook his head.

"We'll find what's best for us." Kasim said with a smile and a kiss to her forehead. "First the babies. Then the next step."

 

[Aviana Sabel]

"Our family first." Aviana said softly and then kissed Kasim's cheek, closing her eyes.

It seemed so simple when he said the words. Kasim had a way with putting things plainly. And he always had a plan.

She traced her fingers over the backs of his knuckles, smiling to herself as she watched her fingers dance across his hand.

"I'm glad I have you." Aviana whispered in a soft voice, then raised her gaze to meet his own. "That you found me..."

 

[Kasim Areth]

"I don't know what else I would have done with my life without meeting you." Kasim said in soft agreement as he gazed into her eyes.

Without her he still would have been nothing more than a wandering bard. No one would have known his name, no one would have known his purpose. All of it would have gone to waste, all of it would have simply been thrown away.

Yet here he was with the woman he loved about to start a family.

His hand slowly slid over her belly and slowly he leaned down so that his lips pressed against hers. Palms slowly roamed over her body, their touch soft, gentle, but wanting.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

The princess of Minaris smiled sedately as his lips met hers. There was no doubt in her mind that Kasim would have made something for himself if she hadn't come along. But she also knew that his life would have been so much simpler without her in it.

His hands running over her form, however, pulled her thoughts away from now impossible futures and focused her solely on the present. He wanted to be here with her. He wanted her, not the life he'd been living. That was choice he'd already made long ago. The realization made Aviana smile once more.

As she fell under his spell, she reached out to trail her fingers over his tunic, following the fabric until she reached the hem of the shirt. There, her touch lingered, as though waiting to see what Kasim would do next.

 

[Kasim Areth]

His fingers slowly floated over her body, softly grabbing her and pulling her close.

Kasim could feel his heart slowly thundering in his chest, could hear it echo softly in his ears. Eyes closed, and he took in the scent of her. For a few seconds he let his hands linger, staying in place as he simply enjoyed her presence.

Then they slipped.

One fell to the nape of her neck, drawing into the silvery locks of her hair and softly seizing them as he pulled her head up so his eyes would meet hers. "I want you."

He breathed softly as he seized her lips.

"Only you." Nothing else.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Time seemed to flow differently within the safe harbor of the Virak castle walls. The days and weeks blurred together, seeming to last an eternity and also blink by in the wink of an eye simultaneously. Before she felt remotely prepared for her new future, the twin's birth was fast approaching.

Aviana's belly had swelled considerably, so much so that she found it impossible to keep working on the garden she'd cultivated. Instead, she spent her time reading various books and scrolls from the castle's vast library -- though she had Kasim bring them down to her since scaling the endless staircase was a daunting task.

Kasim had taken Kiovec hunting, leaving her alone in the castle with a romance novel to keep her company.

She was seated in the courtyard wrapped in a thick blanket that was lined with soft fur, warding off the chill of the mountain air. It was something of a tradition for her to await Kasim's return outside, so that she could see the drake approaching on the horizon.

But whenever she looked up from her book, her gaze was always on the sky. She never bothered to look at the bridge that led into the courtyard, since the pair would never cross it on foot. As such, Aviana never noticed the small band of travelers approaching. It wasn't until the heavy gate creaked open that she realized something was wrong, causing her to jump in her seat, the book tumbling to the paved stone with a loud thud.

A cluster of men and women stood at the gate, nearly twenty at a quick glance. All of them stared in shock at the elven woman seated in the courtyard, visible confusion painted on their expression.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" One of the older men called out, demanding an answer.

Aviana's voice caught in her throat. She swallowed hard as her mind scrambled to conjure some explanation, but nothing plausible manifested. "I uhm..."

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim was not yet there, and neither was Kiovec.

Aviana was standing in the face of twenty very confused Servants, all of them with eyes on her, all of them never expecting to see an elf here in all places. This was the Winter Palace of House Virak, one of the most xenophobic Ruling Houses in all of Vel Anir.

"This is the Home of Sir Virak!" One of the other men shouted. He was younger. "What the fuck is a filthy Knife-Ear doing here!"

Heads turned, and then suddenly whipped back towards Aviana.

One by one they all took note of Aviana's ears. Some of them gasped in horror, some of them looked angry, and others still just looked plain curious. Mutterings began to quickly run through the group, grumblings that were clear in their intent. "Get her! We can't let Lord Virak know she was here!"

Three of the Servants, including the one that had insulted her, suddenly stepped forward to try and grab her.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

While Aviana had been on the mainland for quite some time now, she'd yet to encounter such flagrant racism; even when she'd been taken by Kasim's uncle. It simply didn't exist in her isolated home, so hearing it directed at her was akin to a slap in the face.

And then the small mob rushed towards her.

Had she not been pregnant, Aviana would have easily been able to get away or defend herself; but in her condition she was in no shape to put up a fight. Panic gripped her throat as she found her feet, trying to stumble back far enough to keep some distance between her and the group snatching at her. The blanket fell from her form, tangling around her feet, causing her trip backwards. She landed hard enough on the ground to knock the wind from her lungs.

"Geh..."

She rapidly shook her head back and forth, holding out an arm defensively as the men descended on her.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Grab her!" There was a loud shout from the young man as he reached out and wrapped his fingers around Aviana's leg.

The young elf would feel herself dragged across the smooth marble floor. The grip on her skin tight and bruising as the young man tore her across the ground. Another hand grasped her shoulder, then another her throat.

None of them cared for the curve of her belly.

"We should kill her!" The voice called out, though this time it was someone else who had spoken before. Aviana would feel herself twisted and grasped, her arms bent so that she would not wriggle away as the three men pinned her to the floor.

"He'll be furious."

"Might kill us if we dont kill her."

"Who is she? What's she doing here?"​

The voice seemed to spin all around her, the grip on her body pinning her to the floor. "WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?"

The boy yelled in herface.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Pain and terror alike flared in her mind. Could she even reason with people like this? Would they listen to a single word she said?

She stopped trying to struggle free once they had her pinned, afraid of making the mob even more angry. It was all she could do to try to stay calm and keep a level head. If she bought enough time, Kasim and Kiovec would return. The crowd would likely change their murderous tune in the face of a dragon.

"My name is Aviana!" She yelped as one of the men holding her grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her head back.

In an instant, there was a silver blade pressed to her throat.

"I... I know Erich!" Aviana exclaimed, desperate to slow the madness. "Please..."

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Stop!" The hands on her body did not move, they froze in place as if somewhat confused but their grip did not loosen even a little bit.

Eyes stared down at her, and then suddenly another man stepped up behind the group of men that had Aviana pinned into place. She would feel pain from the grasp, but this new man, slightly older and wearing a salt and pepper beard looked down at her.

"Erich?" He echoed. "Where do you know that name from elf?"

The man asked her, clear amounts of suspicion in his voice.

Kasim had run away from home nearly a decade ago. The name was dead to most, especially those who knew Vel Anir. The fact that Aviana had brought it up was...suspicious to say the least.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Aviana grimaced in pain, but she was finally able to catch her breath, though her pulse still raced erratically. Sarcasm would serve her nothing, so she bit back a dry retort about the obvious.

Her thoughts were too frantic to try to fabricate some innocent lie to conceal her relationship with Kasim.

She took a shaky breath to steel her nerves. "He's the one that told me. The castle is enchanted, right? How else would I have been able to get inside?"

 

[Kasim Areth]

The servants seemed to murmur a bit more, looking at one another with an odd sort of fear in their eyes as they peered down at her and then back towards each other. Some were obviously in disbelief, others were not quite sure what to think.

"LIAR!" The young boy was the one to speak, grabbing her by the throat and pushing her down against the marble floor. "He died years ago! You must have used your disgusting magics to break in."

Another rush of murmurs.

The older man spoke up. "Ren, quiet."

His voice was a hiss, trying to silence the younger man.

"Elf...girl. How do you know of Erich?" The man clearly seemed to know Kasim, or rather, knew more than just of him.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

She stared up at the older man, Ren's hand still wrapped around her throat.

"He's the father." She said pointedly.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Everyone seemed to freeze. "Wh-wha-"

The old man could not finish his sentence, or rather he did not get the opportunity to. A roar ripped through the sky, and then Kiovec swooped down from above. With a thunderous lurch the Dragon landed in the middle of the courtyard, Kasim sweeping himself off the back of the beast.

A deer was slung across the dragons back, though the catch was ignored as Kasim took steps towards Aviana and the three that held her.

Runes immediately flared on the back of his hands and across his body, some sparking in deep blues while others glowed in purple. He stepped forward, his voice booming out as fingers snapped.

One of the men suddenly flew across the room, smashing into the wall beyond as a loud crack of bone rang out. "GET. AWAY. FROM. HER!"

His voice thundered, echoing through across the walls.

The two men remaining near Aviana practically jumped away, scrambling to remove themselves as the heir of House Virak moved towards his love. Kiovec rushed forward at the same time, snapping his jaw and immediately surrounding Aviana in a protective stance.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Aviana coughed as Ren's hand snapped away from her neck, sitting upright and reaching to her throat with her own hand as though trying to ease the pain. There would likely be bruises left behind from his grasp. Her other hand reached out to Kasim as he moved towards her, seeking him out and the safety she knew he provided.

She didn't try to stand up yet, still light headed from the fall and flighty panic. Nausea swept over her and she felt dangerously close to fainting. She hated how frail she felt.

While he strength was waned, Kiovec's had only grown during their time at the castle. The dragon was now far larger than any horse, his body coiled around the two lovers with his massive wings extending. A low, menacing growl rumbled in his throat, his heavy tail sweeping across the ground in agitation.

"I... I'm alright..." She rasped to Kasim once he reached her, trying her best to reassure him.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim looked down at Aviana with concern in his eyes, wrapping an arm around her to gently pull her up and off the floor. His fingers curled slightly around her waist, other hand half extended as he watched those servants who were now slowly backing away.

There was about twenty of them, or so it seemed.

Some of them he recognized, or at least he thought he did. The older one, the one with the salt and pepper hair, Kasim most definitely recognized him. His fingers tightened, and the glow on the back of his palm seemed to brighten. "Terril."

There was a gruffness to his tone.

"What are you doing here?" The man seemed to pale, as though he had seen a ghost.

"M-Master Erich. W-we thought you were dead. Your...your father told u-"​

"My father says a great many things." Kasim broke in with a scowl. "What are you doing here?"

The question came again.

"Your father. He...he is on his way. There is a negotiation and the Winter palace is close so he wished to stay here..."

Kasim could practically feel his stomach drop.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Aviana did not utter a word while Terril and Kasim spoke, though she could see the color drain from Kasim's face when he heard the news. She leaned into Kasim's side, instinctively nestling herself into his warmth. One hand moved to rest in the back of his that was gripping her hip.

Their safe haven had become a prison in a matter of seconds. If the servants had reacted so violently against her... What would the father do?

Her free hand protectively wrapped around her belly, terror clutching at her heart.

He likely wouldn't kill her right away, not while she carried the children that he needed... But what about afterwards? He'd take the twins and butcher one of them, and likely kill her ass soon as her purpose was served.

She looked back at Kasim, biting her bottom lip.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Fuck." The word echoed from his lips, his head already spinning with a thousand plans as he thought about what they were going to have to do.

They had spent months here, comfortable, safe, and to have it all ripped away now was...fuck. His lips thinned, and he glanced back towards Aviana for a brief moment as he felt a twist in his stomach. Fingers tightened for just a moment.

What were they going to do.

"How long?" He demanded. "How long until he gets here?"

Terril looked around awkwardly for a moment, slowly glancing at Kasim, then to Aviana, and then finally to Kiovec. He frowned a moment, thinning his lips.

"A day...at most."​

Shit. Shit shit shit. "Honey, gather your things. Everything Kiovec can carry."

They needed to leave.

One of the servants stepped forward, an older woman. Kasim recognized her. Natalia was her name, his nanny when he had been a child. She looked at him with an odd sense of awe, as if she couldn't quite believe that he was there.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Aviana was absolutely terrified, still shaken up from the attack Kasim had just interrupted. The servants unabashed racism and indifference to her was unsettling, and she was afraid to now wander the halls the palace she'd come to call home.

Kiovec dipped his head around the front of Kasim to reach Aviana, nuzzling under her arm and against the swell of her belly. Warmth emanated from the dragons scales, soothing the rattled elf. <I will be with you.> His familiar voice rumbled through her mind.

Taking a breath, she gave a small nod to Kasim and squeezed his hand one last time before she turned to hurry inside.

When a few of the servants, including Ren moved to follow, the dragon positioned himself in between his Bond and the interlopers. A threatening growl churned in his chest as he lowered his head, tucking his wings against his body.

The servants all paused, looking to Kasim.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"You all stay." His fingers tightened, and briefly he wished that he had his sword with him.

If they all rushed him the Runes could really only do so much to help. Eventually he would have to touch the Well, and if he did that it would be like a beacon to his father. Especially if the old bastard was anywhere near them now.

Fingers tightened, knuckles growing white. "Aviana, go gather our things."

He took a breath.

"Natalia..." Kasim breathed the woman's name. "Tell them to stay back. I don't want to hurt you."

There was a moment of hesitation, and then the woman began to speak to the others. She urged them to stay put, to listen to Kasim.

This needn't end in death.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

While he wasn't outwardly showing it, Aviana could sense the fear in Kasim's voice. He wanted to put as much distance between them and the castle as quickly as possible. She placed a hand over her belly, biting her bottom lip.

Traveling in her condition would be brutal and quite risky, but it wasn't as though they had any other choice.

Aviana gave a small nod to Kasim, then placed a hand on Kiovec's shoulder. The dragon turned and followed the elf into the castle, having to duck his head beneath the doorway.

Once inside, Kiovec laid down so that Aviana could climb onto his back without straining herself. He carried her throughout the castle, helping her gather what few belongings her and Kasim had to their name. She stopped in the garden that she'd spent so much time restoring, a pang of sorrow stabbing her chest as she gathered as many medicinal herbs that she could get her hands on.

Kiovec still had a deer slung over his back, and there was plenty of stored food for her to hurriedly stuff into a bag. It would be enough to last them for sometime.



Outside, the Servants mulled about anxiously. Ren had gathered several of the younger servants and pulled them to the side, talking in hushed voices.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim was left alone with the servants, his fingers twitching slightly.

He knew that if it came to it he could kill them all. He would have to use the Well, but...it might be what it came to. Another flare appeared on his flesh as he heard what Ren and some of the servants were speaking of. The travesty of an Elf in this ancient castle, what they should do, if one of them should go back to Lord Virak.

Fingers tightened. It was Natalia that approached Kasim, her old and weary face clearly still not quite believing that he could be here.

"Erich...we...we thought you were dead. Your father has said so for years."

"Dead to him, perhaps." He considered for a moment, watching Ren and the others out of the corner of his eye. "But I am most certainly alive, and plan to stay that way."

The woman nodded, her voice dropping.

"You must leave. I...I dont think I can convince the others to keep this quiet though."

Kasim glanced towards Ren. "No, no I don't think you can."

It was not her fault, but Kasim could not just slaughter them. Kill one, and you had to kill them all. Otherwise his father would be suspicious. Yet Kasim was not that sort of man. He could not kill just to kill.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Some time later, Aviana and the dragon returned to the courtyard. Kiovec was still carrying the elf on his back, with a bundle of supplies tied between two of his spines. The massive creature slowly turned his head towards the quietly muttering servants, staring them down with keenly intelligent eyes.

The intent stare was enough to draw silence over the small crowd. While Kasim was intimidating with his magic, there was something else to be said of a dragon glaring at you.

"Erich? I grabbed everything I could..." Aviana called quietly over to him, not wanting to use the name she normally used. If they didn't know about Kasim Areth, there was no need for them to learn of him now.